Investigation And Comparison Of Knowledge Attitude And Practice(KAP) Status On Nutrient Supplementation Between International And Chinese Students Of Southeast University

Many researches on nutrient supplement use among developing countries have recently been carried out and are still going on.However,a limited number of researches on nutrient supplement use in other developing countries like China have been observed.As a consequence,there is poor awareness and/or an insignificant use of nutrient supplement in the country thus necessitating the question as to awareness and use of nutrient supplements among Chinese and its foreigner population.Furthermore,given the great market potential of nutrient supplement in China as well as the lack of previous relevant studies,academic research investigating how consumer's knowledge,demographics and personal characteristics are associated with their attitudes and practice regarding using this type of product is becoming necessary and very important in this field.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Southeast University,China.The total number of respondents was 1476,the data extracted from the questionnaires,entered into Epidata and Microsoft excel.The statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20.The study participant's demographics were analysed using percentages and counts and chi square test to explore and compare the KAP of both study groups.Results: The total number of international students was(n=500)and the Chinese students was(n=976).The age bracket 18-24 years old had the largest percentage in both Chinese and International students,and there were slightly more males than females in the study 58% and 69.6% respectively.The majority of both study participants groups were in their bachelor as level of education and had normal body mass index(BMI).The majority of Chinese students reported having a poor knowledge on nutrient supplement(57.5%)while most of the international students reported an average level of knowledge towards them(42.6%).Around 58% of international students have taken supplement in the past 12 months while around 77% of Chinese students haven't taken them.According to the purpose of dietary supplement use,the most commonly-used nutrient supplements were vitamins A,C and in both gender categories and in both study groups.It was seen that the majority buys supplement from the internet,others typically purchased the supplements from drug stores in both Chinese and International students.The majority of International students(72.5%)reported having neutral opinions on nutrient supplement effectiveness while the majority of the Chinese(42.5%)reported having a fair opinion on their effectiveness.There was a statistically difference on the students opinions on knowledge related questions in the two study groups such whether it's necessary to take supplementation(P=0.02), overconsumption leading to toxic side effects(P=0.03),whether they can encourage the neighboring environment to take them(P=0.03).A statistical difference(P=0.047)was observed on attitude towards nutrient supplements as the majority of Chinese students reported to take nutrient supplement for physical improvement(39.3%)and cure insomnia(37.9%)and the international students as habit(45.7%).There were no statistically differences on the effectiveness of nutrient supplements and the age of first consumption.The field of study plays an important role as a factor influencing the KAP of both student groups.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the participants have a poor knowledge regarding nutritional supplement,as the reported average knowledge of international students does not coherate with their attitude and practice toward them.Around 38.4% of both study groups participants do not know that long term overconsumption of nutrient supplements can cause toxic side effects and there is no definite evidence for any health benefit.The differences seen on KAP opinions can be explained by socio-cultural differences such as background,culture and the different lifestyles developed throughout life.In both study groups the majority of the respondents buy the supplements outside the hospital.The attitude and practice towards nutrient supplementation observed throughout the study have an association with their knowledge as the ones majoring in medicine related courses tend to have higher and better understanding thus leading to better attitude and practice on them.As an initiative recommendation to the problem,holding nutrition workshops and courses in college and even including nutrition courses in the curriculum can enhance their attitudes and nutrient supplements behavior and have a positive effect on them.Health education may be important to prevent adverse effects resulting from supplement use in college/ university.